Earphone socket



April 26, 1949. A. M, MONDL 2,468,267

EARPHONE SOCKET Filed Oct. 24, 1945 fiznfala Win-#1717101? gm 6.7m fliiardy,

Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,468,267 EARPHONE SOCKET Adolph Martin Mondl, Oshkosh, Wis. Application October '24, 1945, Serial No. 624,138

6 Claims.

This invention relates to sockets or holding de" vices for use with earphones for the purpose of deadening or cutting out extraneous sounds and. for holding the earphone in adjusted position on the head to secure the best transmission there-' from, and also to support the earphone comfort-- ably on the head. It is particularly adapted foruse in connection with helmets such as used by aviators and other persons in the armed forces, and provides means for securely holding the earphone in adjusted position in the helmet.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an improved socket for the purposes above indicated which will be shaped and cushioned so that it will fit closely against the head in a comfortable manner; to provide means for adjustably supporting an earphone in a helmet or the like; to provide means for ready access to the earphone and for attachment such other novel features and advantages as will appear more fully from the following speci fication.

In the accompanying this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a helmet showing the earphone and socket in position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged inside view of the socket;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the cap removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the cap.

As shown in these drawings, 6 indicates gener ally a helmet or aviators cap of any suitable construction having a hole or opening I in the side thereof opposite the ear of the wearer. My improved socket 8 is made to coact with the helmet and has a substantially flat plate or sheet 9 shaped to conform to the ear with a central opening In providing a sound passageway. The disc or plate 9 has a curved peripheral flange l I which is secured to a correspondingly shaped annular cushion l2. This cushion may be of any suitable form as, for instance, being made with a casing l3 made of chamois skin or other soft material filled with any light resilient substance M such as kapok, or the like.

The plate or disc 9 has an integrally formed outwardly projecting socket r holder l which is shaped on the inside to conform to the headphone l6 which fits closely therein, as shown in Fig. 4. The disc 9 and socket portion l5 may be made of rubber, synthetic rubber, or other resilient material. The socket I5 is provided with an annular drawings illustrating to a helmet; and to provide groove I! for receiving a correspondingly shaped annular rib or locking projection [8 on the cap l9 which is shaped substantially as shown and preferably formed of rubber or the like. This cap has an inwardly extending resilient rim or flange 20 which is shaped as shown in full lines, Fig. 5, but which may be sprung or bent outwardly as indicated by the dotted lines when the cap is to be pressed into locking position as shown in Fig. 4.

When the parts are to be assembled for use, the headphone is placed in the socket and the conductor wires 2| which are usually positioned between the layers of the helmet are extended through a notch or recess 22 in the side of the socket l5 and connected with the headphone in the usual manner. The socket portion or receptacle I5 is then projected through the opening 1 with the disc 9 fitting against the inside wall of the helmet. The cap I!) is then attached by inserting the flange or rib H3 in the groove I! which securely locks the cap in position. The flange or flap portion 20 at this time is sprung or adjusted so that it extends outwardly as indicated in dotted lines. The hole or opening I is larger than the projecting portion of the socket which permits the socket to be adjusted laterally until it fits comfortably over the ear and against the head. Then the flap 20 is rolled or sprung inwardly against the outer surface of the helmet as shown in Fig. 4 and exerts sufficient tension to hold the socket in such adjusted position.

From this description it will be seen that my improved socket not only serves to support and protect the headphone, but also deadens the sound so that the wearer may more readily hear the phone messages.

While I have particularly described the socket in connection with helmets, it may also be used without the helmet and give the same advantages with the ordinary head set or earphones. The socket or earphone support may be varied for different types of earphones and changes may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the following claims in which I claim:

1. The combination with a helmet having an ear opening therethrough, of an earphone socket consisting of a disc formed of resilient material fitting against the inside of the helmet, and having a sound opening therethrough, a cushion ring secured to the disc, and adapted to fit closely against the head of the wearer around the ear, said disc having an integrally formed socket portion extending outwardly through the opening and adapted to receive an earphone said socket portion being of less diameter than the opening through the helmet whereby it may be adjusted with respect to the helmet, a cap detachably secured to the socket portion and having an outwardly extending resilient flap for engagement with the outer wall of the helmet for holding the socket in adjusted position.

2. The combination with a helmet having a cir cular opening therethrough, of an earphone socket comprisingan inner cushioned portion adapted to surround the ear and engage with the head and having a socket portion extending outwardly through the opening and of less diameter than the opening, a headphone carried by said socket, a cap for the outer end of the" socket detachably engaging therewith and -having a resilient flange which may be'bentoutwardly for adjustment of the socket in said opening and then sprung inwardly of the helmet for holding the socket in adjusted position.

3. An earphone 'so'cket cZinsisting of a disc formed of rubber with asubstantially"central sound opening therein' and having a peripheral flange, a cushion ring secured to said flange, and adapted to fitclosely against the "head, an integrally formed earphone support extending outwardly from the disc and having a peripheral groove in the outer wall thereof, and a'c'ap formed of resilient material having a'rib for engagement with said grooveto lock the'cap in position, said cap having an inwardly eintend'ing' I resilient rim adapted to be 'fl'exedoutwardly to -releasing position to permit adjustment of the socket in-its supporting helmet and to 'b'e sprung inwardly against the helmet tohol'dthe socket in adjusted position. I

4. An earphone socket which may be readily attached to a helmet or-the'like, withoutstitching, consisting of a plate formed of resilient ma terial and shaped to conform to the-ear of the user and having a central opening therein, an annular cushion around the outerperipher'y of the plate for engagement with the'he'ad of the user, said plate having an intgrallyior'rned outwardly projecting socket-adapted toproject through an opening in the helmet, and a cap fo'rmed of reagainst the outer surface out through said hole, and

silient material fitting over the socket and having a resilient outwardly extending flange which engages with the outer surface of the helmet for clamping the socket in position.

5. The combination with a helmet having an ear flap with a hole therethrough, of an earphone socket comprising a disc engaging with the inner side of the flap, a cushion secured to the outer periphery of the disc and adapted to surround the ear of-the user,- an earphone holder of less diameterthan the *hole through the flap formed integrally with the disc and extending a cap formed of resilient material detachably secured to the disc and having an outwardly extending flan Which to "permit "universal "gages-with the outer surface of the flap around the hole forholding the socket in adjusted position, said flange being adapted to be folded back adjustment of the socket in the plane of the flap.

6. A-quick attachable and detachable "a'ndladjustable earphone socket "for use with helmets, consisting of a phonereceiving portion adapted to project through an opening in the helmetear flap and having an outwardly extending plate for engagement with the inner surface of the'fl'ap'aiid a cap'formed of'fiexible material having detachable locking engagement with the phone're'ceiving portion and adapted to press against the'oiiter surface of the'ear flap to fasten the socket in position on the flap.

ADOLPH MARTIN MONDL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,835,792 Lum Dec. 8, 1931 2,353,070 Pitkin July 4, 19,44 2,408,490 Stevens Oct. 1, 1 9-46 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date v 174,219 Switzerland Mar. 16,1935 460,759 Great Britain Feb. 3, 1937 

